“Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it.”
Time and time again we hear the words "generation gap when describing differences in opinion, ideologies, tastes in culture and fashion, societal practices and fashion etc. There is often a clash between what is perceived right by one generation against the freedom to decide and choose of the other.
Change is an inevitable and important part of our lives and society. Whereas traditionally every generation witnessed a single change in society, allowing time to gradually accept and embed the change, today's fast passed and digital lifestyle is witnessing changes much more frequently. Every few years there are huge changes.
The generation gap is also commonly referred to as the communication gap. This is because one of the biggest manifestations of the generation gap is the lack of dialogue, the lack of communication with family members, the perceived lack of understanding and the assumption that the other will never understand. Often even before discussing we have made our minds up.
The impacts of the generation gap can be differences in thinking, differences in the way in which we achieve things, differences in the acceptance of social norms, distancing from one another which can then become differences of opinion sometimes leading to confrontation, blocking people out of our lives and conflict. In a nutshell the breaking down of our family structure. In many families we see one generation trying to enforce their view on others. This is not a healthy position for any family to be in.
Traditionally we used to have multi-generational households. Whilst there were strict rules and hierarchy there was also vibrant communication through chats, songs and cultural celebrations which bound the generations together. Nowadays our family structure is becoming nuclear and our families are becoming smaller. Instead of speaking with our own we often have very deep conversations with people we never physically meet through social media such as instagram, you tube, face book etc.
There is no greater irony in this situation than this, we are willing to communicate with anonymous beings or people living thousands of miles who may not even really know whom we are or what our circumstances are yet we will not communicate with our own.
The world we are living in now is a fast-changing world. People are living longer. Society, technology, culture are all constantly changing, adapting, growing. The world our elders grew up in is no longer the world the next generation are living in. Similarly, the world in the new generation are living is not the same as the world of the older generation in any way shape or form. Our aspirations, our moral barometers our acceptance thresholds are so different. Its like we are at opposite sides the international dateline, where is it Sunday on one side and Monday on the other.
Often in the Mandir, especially during religious ceremonies such as weddings and pujas we used to hear people say we are doing this because it is always done. It is our tradition. Nowadays we hear the words "we are doing this because I saw this on tv or I saw this on facebook. It looks good so we ought to do it. It's the trend and its more fun than the old stuff."
The point is that just because something was observed by our elders doesn't automatically make it outdated or wrong. Equally just because it is on social media doesn't not make it right either, Everything we do, regardless of which generation you belong to, has a reason, it ought to have a purpose and importantly it should be done with the right intent.
What is the solution to the problem of the generation gap? The answer is simple, there is no solution. The concept of the generation gap is a relatively new phenomena. Maybe gathering speed since social media and technology connects people globally across different societies and provides us with new norms to strive for.
One thing which can help us get through the challenges of the generation gap is open and honest communication. Discussions around why we do things. Discussions around our opinions and then trying to find a middle path to tread is one way to address. We cannot live in the past as the world is no longer like mat. but similarly we cannot disregard our history and cultural practices. They are our roots and form part of our identity. Change should be understood and embraced by all generations. Every generation needs to genuinely listen to the other. Every generation needs to question as it is through questioning that we learn and grow. Every generation needs to be ready to be accountable, to explain why but also be ready to embrace. This will greatly reduce instances of social and mental isolation we are witnessing in society.
The generations we have now are so different in terms of expectation, in terms of their drive, in terms of their accepted cultural norms, in terms of their connection dharma. Many of our elders were so adherent to their religious practices holding onto every word of their elders. Just because the next generation isn't like this does not mean that they do not value dharma. The newer generation value dharma and have a genuine thirst to learn about their religious and cultural heritage but their lens is different to that of the generation before.
What we must remember is that the difference in generations has always been there, however the changes witnessed were not as frequent or as big as change is now. The generations before us have the wealth of experience which we should be able to learn from. The newer generations have drive and energy and they should be respected as the ones who can bring positive change for the betterment of our families, society and culture. However, the greatest thing to remember is that without one generation the other is incomplete. Every generation complements the other. Every generation is the living legacy of the others. Every generation needs to be respected, listened to and every generation needs to work together, to respect one another and to embrace one another whole heartedly if we are to maintain a strong family unity and indeed a strong and healthy society.
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